Hi, I’m Karen.

I bring over 20 years of experience in Colorado’s construction industry, with a focus on preconstruction services, project planning, and construction management—all grounded in a strong commitment to green building practices.

As both a Certified Passive House Tradesperson and an Ayurveda Health Counselor, I offer a unique perspective that blends building science with wellness. I’m passionate about helping clients create low-carbon, cost-effective, and health-supportive spaces that contribute to both individual and community wellbeing.

I believe that truly great environments do more than perform well—they feel good to live and work in. I use tools like BEAM Estimator for embodied carbon analysis, PHPP for energy modeling, and Athena Impact Estimator for Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) to deliver detailed, data-driven support for carbon accounting and energy performance.

Let’s build spaces that are not only sustainable—but restorative, resilient, and deeply human.

Portfolio

  • Artful Evolution

  • Innovative Sunset

  • Boulder Getaway

  • Highlands Retreat

My Approach

To me, building wellness means focusing on energy efficiency, designing for net-zero carbon, taking into account the embodied carbon of selected materials, incorporating locally sourced building materials, while designing a building envelope that is air tight and vapor resistant and incorporating fresh air exchange for maximum health of the building and its occupants.

Feasibility

A Passive House feasibility study is an essential step in determining whether a building project can effectively meet the Passive House standard, which is a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings. This study evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental considerations involved in constructing or retrofitting a building to meet Passive House criteria.

A PH Feasibility study includes PHPP energy modeling to simulate the building’s energy performance, building envelope evaluation which looks at the effectiveness of insulation, airtightness, and thermal bridge reduction, and mechanical systems assessment.

Cost Consulting

Accurate cost estimation can make or break a project. I ensure accurate cost estimating that considers the diverse materials and technologies needed to build a high performance home. My many years of experience estimating commercial and residential projects supports the passive house approach by ensuring the design stays on budget from inception to completion.

My open book approach allows my clients to see all direct costs by line item with a variable contingency and markup clearly noted. Oftentimes, conceptual budgets are within 5-10% of the final construction contract if major design changes aren’t incurred.